by Jess Bryant
Jemma was so surprised she reached for her mother’s wrist before she could stop herself. Sure enough, just as she said, the small silver and leather bracelet was there amid the flashy Michael Kors watch and David Yurman bangles. She ran her finger over it and then looked at her mother.
“You actually wear it?”
“Rarely take it off darling.” Terri patted her hand and pulled her wrist back.
Jemma smiled softly. The distance between herself and her mother had always been so wide she thought there was no way to cross it. She’d assumed the bracelet, like everything else she’d ever given her, had been stuffed into a drawer and forgotten about but it hadn’t. Her mother wore it right alongside her expensive jewelry and seemed proud of it, because her daughter had made it for her.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“It’s beautiful. All of your jewelry is.” Terri sighed, “I wish you’d find somewhere to sell it where you could make a career out of it. I hardly think putting it out at Skylar’s salon will earn you enough to make a living no matter how good you are.”
“I know.” She shrugged, “But it’s mostly a hobby, something I enjoy doing. I think if I made it a career I might lose that.”
“So you’re looking for a job still?”
Jemma played with a fry, not meeting her mother’s gaze, “Uh… yeah, that’s actually why I asked you to meet me. I wanted to make sure you were okay with it before I agreed. Dewey asked that I talk to you before…”
“Dewey?” Her mother sat upright at the mention of her husband, just as Jemma had known she would. “You talked to Dewey about a job?”
“Yes.”
“He didn’t tell me that.”
“I know. I asked him not to say anything until I had a chance to talk to you and tell you I was staying.”
Terri frowned and Jemma winced. She’d known that her mother wasn’t going to like that she’d gone to Dewey without her knowledge. Mostly though she thought Terri wouldn’t like that her husband had known her daughter’s plans before she did.
“I wanted to be the one to tell you I was staying in town.” She rushed forward when her mother’s lips pursed, “He hasn’t agreed to give me a job yet. He said I had to talk to you first. But there are a couple of openings at the school.”
“Teaching?”
She gave a sad shake of her head, “No. I don’t have my certificate to teach in Oklahoma. It would be a job in the administration office.”
“You were going to teach though, after college, is that something you still want to do?”
An old longing she’d all but forgotten about rose up inside her, just as it had when she spoke to Dewey about a job last week. Now that she was reclaiming her life her old passions were coming back. Loving Cash. Making her jewelry. Wanting to teach.
“Yeah, I’m looking into taking some classes to get my certificate but in the meantime, I need a job.”
“Okay.” Terri nodded, thoughtfully, “In that case, I think you should take the job.”
Jemma smiled, “You do?”
“I always wanted you to use your degree, Jemma. You racked up too many student loans getting it to simply put it up on a shelf.” Her mother smiled back at her, “If you’re going to work on getting your teaching certificate then it only makes sense for you to work at the school so you can transition when the time comes.”
She breathed out a sigh of relief, “You’re okay with me taking the job?”
Terri sighed, shrugged and shifted in her chair, “I would prefer you took some more time to think it over before deciding to give up your entire life elsewhere. I want more for you than I think you can get in this town or with that boy of yours. But you’ve made it clear that you don’t want the same things I want for you so… what can I do but try to support you? You’re stubborn and you got it from me.”
Jemma softened at the clear show of support. All of her life she’d told herself that her mother didn’t understand her but that wasn’t entirely true. She and Terri were different in a lot of ways but they were alike too. She was stubborn and clearly her mother understood that she wasn’t going to change her mind about what she wanted.
“Thank you.”
“I know we’ve had our differences but I love and support you Jemma.”
“I love you too Mom.”
Terri blew her a kiss and a wink across the table, “Mom. Hmm, what have I told you about calling me that in public? It makes me sound old.”
Jemma laughed. It was a long running joke between them. Terri had claimed to be too young to be a mother for years. She’d taken great pleasure in calling her Mom and she thought in reality that Terri liked the word just as much.
“Just do me a favor and tell me you’re using protection because I’m not ready to be a grandmother.”
“Mom!” Jemma squealed with shock and horror.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that. I’m completely serious. I’m too young to be a grandma and that boy of yours is a Bomar in one way or another. They reproduce like rabbits, just look at how many of them there are running around.”
“Oh. My. God.” She cringed and covered her face, “We are not having this discussion.”
Terri laughed, “Well, now that I’ve succeeded in embarrassing you. I think my job as a mother is done.”
Jemma shook her head, laughing and pretending to choke on her fries, all the while avoiding her mother’s eyes. Because Terri had meant it as a joke but the truth was, Jemma had been thinking all morning about just that thing, ever since she and Cash had knowingly and purposefully had unprotected sex.
It was a choice she’d made, that they had made, and she didn’t regret it.
The birth control was probably still in her system. She’d been on it for years. Four weeks off wouldn’t make that huge of a difference, probably. She’d wait for her period to make sure before she transferred her prescription and started it up again and if she wasn’t pregnant, she’d take it as a sign that now wasn’t the time and take the pills. And if she was… well, if she was then that was just the way things were meant to be.
“Jemma?”
“Hmm?” She glanced up to find her mother looking at her.
“Where’d you go space cadet? I lost you there for a minute.”
“Nowhere. I’m here. Sorry, just thinking about everything I have to do.”
“Uh huh.” Terri drawled, “I’m sure it had nothing to do with that boy of yours standing out front.”
“What? Where?” Jemma jerked up, her gaze darting to the window that covered the front of the little burger shack.
Her lips pulled up into a smile as soon as she saw that her mother was right. Cash stood outside in the parking lot a few feet away. He was talking to someone that looked disturbingly like him and she darted her eyes between them, cataloging the similarities. From this distance it was impossible for her to tell but she thought it was Royce, or Bentley, she couldn’t be sure. She hadn’t seen either of them in five years, at least. But the man was clearly a Bomar with that big build and strong jawline and he looked about the right age to be one of them.
“Cash is here.” She grinned, her eyes going back to the man that had always drawn her eye.
“So it would seem.” Her mother snorted. “Did you invite him to join us?”
“No.” She shook her head, “I didn’t tell him where we were going.”
Terri gave an amused hum, “Well, why don’t you go out and see if he’d like to eat with us?”
“Really?”
“Yes. Really.” Terri laughed, “Lord you’re smiling like a pig in warm mud. I guess you really do love him.”
Jemma rolled her eyes at the southernism, “I really do.”
“Then go catch him because it looks like he’s leaving.”
She pushed out of her seat and noticed her mother was right. Cash had clapped his cousin on the shoulder and was already turning to leave. She darted up between the tables and pushed out the door, wondering what he was up to.
He hadn’t come inside to eat and wasn’t carrying takeout which was strange.
“Cash!” She called out as she hit the gravel. “Cash, wait.”
He turned around at the sound of his name and she almost paused. His eyes were dark, his face shrouded in his mask. She’d missed the tension in his body through the window but she didn’t miss it now. Something was wrong and she could have stopped, could have slowed her step and asked him what was wrong but she didn’t.
“Jem?” His head titled, as if he was surprised to see her.
She grinned as she raced into his arms and leapt, knowing full well he would catch her, which he did. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he caught her at the waist. She wrapped her legs around his hips and his hands slid to her ass to steady her. He expelled a harsh breath as their bodies collided and he stepped back before regaining his balance, a grin lighting his face when he looked at her again.
“Hey baby.” She pressed a light kiss against his lips.
“Hey yourself.” He chuckled, his gaze darting around when someone let out a whistle, “Hell of greeting but we’re getting stares. Hop down babe.”
“Nope. Don’t think so.” She locked her ankles together behind his back when he started to push her away.
“Jem, people are watching.”
She glanced around and shrugged. He was right. Royce, at least she was pretty sure it was Royce, had stopped a few feet away and was grinning at them. Several others in the busy parking lot had stopped what they were doing to watch as well. And she was certain if she looked through the glass that everyone inside was watching them as well.
“Don’t care. Let them look. We’re together.” She tipped up one eyebrow with a smirk, “Unless you’re embarrassed to be seen with me.”
He groaned, “Of course not, I just thought…”
“Stop thinking. It’ll give that pretty head of yours a migraine.” She winked playfully and was pleased to see some of the tension fade from his face, “I’m back, for good. I’m done hiding. I love you and I don’t care what anyone thinks about that.”
Cash studied her face for a long moment, his blue eyes going soft, “I love you too.”
“Prove it. Kiss me. Show them I’m yours and you’re…”
He pressed his mouth to hers, cutting off her words with a groan. It wasn’t a soft, gentle kiss like the ones he’d given her when she left him this morning. He’d been relaxed then and he was the opposite of relaxed now. Something had happened to put him on edge and it was clear in the way he stamped his mouth against hers, used his teeth to tug on her bottom lip and then delved his tongue deep. She met him with just as much passion, wrapping her body tighter around his, meeting him stroke for stroke. She poured all of her love into the kiss, forgot about everyone watching them and simply held him close when he pulled away.
“Damn it Jem…” He panted, tangling one hand in her hair and dragging her forehead down to his so they were eye to eye, “If you were wearing a dress I’d be inside you already with no thought to where we are right now.”
She bit her lip to stifle a moan, “Hmm, I’ll think about that next time I pick my clothes for the day.”
“Tease.” He managed a small smile but it didn’t reach his eyes, “I’ve gone without you so long I don’t think I’ll ever be able to keep my hands off you.”
“I know how you feel.”
“I’m not going to take you in front of a crowd of gossipy Settlers though so you better hop down.”
She pouted, “If you insist.”
He kissed her again, softer this time as she slipped back to the ground, “I just realized why you’re here. You’re having lunch with your mom. Shit, she probably just saw me manhandling you didn’t she?”
“Probably.” She giggled at the pained look that crossed his handsome face, “She sent me out here to invite you to join us.”
“Really?” His eyebrows winged up, “I’m sure she’s rethinking that after what she just witnessed.”
“Come inside and find out with me?”
“Wish I could.” He shook his head, his tension returning, “But I can’t stay. I have some things I need to take care of.”
She frowned, “What kind of things?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Hey, you can talk to me. You know that right?” She reached for his hand, lacing their fingers.
They had to talk to each other. Not just about the good things but about the hard parts too. They both had issues but they couldn’t deal with all of it alone anymore. If they were going to work this time, they had to talk, she knew that.
“It’s Colt. He went off with Lincoln this morning and I haven’t been able to reach him.” He blew out a breath, “I asked Bent to meet me to see if he knew what they were up to. It wasn’t a conversation for the phone.”
Jemma winced at his explanation. So, not Royce then. Bentley had been the one with Cash. But that wasn’t the important part. That was the fact that Colt had gone off with his cousin, a known criminal, to do God only knew what since Bentley hadn’t wanted to tell Cash about it over a phone, where the conversation could be recorded and used against them. She didn’t like the sound of that, at all.
“You’re worried about him.”
“Yeah.” He gave a short nod, “I’m sure he’s fine. He can take care of himself, but he didn’t tell me where he was going or what he was doing and…”
“You’re worried. I get it.” She shifted closer, squeezing his hand, “Have you tried Sky? She seems to know an awful lot about Colt these days.”
“No. I haven’t. She doesn’t talk to me so…”
“I’ll call her and see if she knows anything.”
Cash pulled her close, “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She tiptoed up and brushed a kiss over his lips. He kissed her back momentarily. It was a softer kiss than before, but there was no less possessiveness in the way he branded her lips in front of the world. She dropped back to her feet when her calves strained and the soft look in his eyes made her heart hurt.
“Go and finish lunch with your mom. I’ll see you tonight?”
She nodded quickly, “Of course.”
He smirked as he released her and stepped back, “Oh, and Jem?”
“Huh?” She couldn’t help but grin back at him when he looked as cocky and demanding as he did right then.
“Change into a dress before you come over.”
And with that, he shot her a hot, wanting look before turning and walking away. She grinned as his sexy ass walked away from her. That ass belonged to her just as much as hers belonged to him. They loved each other and they were going to make it work this time. She didn’t doubt it for a minute. He’d been hurting, worried about his twin, but he hadn’t tried to shield her from that part of his life this time. He’d opened up to her and later, she was going to open up for him.
Her smile was unstoppable as her life began to come back together right before her very eyes.
Chapter Sixteen
Colt came home safely. No bruises marring his face or knuckles. He’d laughed off Cash and his worries, told him to chill out and all but refused to give him any more details about what he had been doing all day. His only explanation had been that he was doing what needed to be done and that if it had been dangerous he’d have asked for help. Cash wasn’t sure he believed that but he’d decided to do what his brother asked and let it go for the time being.
He had good things in his life to focus on. He had Jemma. Just running into her earlier had managed to break through the bad mood that talking to Colt had given him. He’d still been worried about his brother but instead of letting it overtake his entire life, he’d been able to smile and joke with her.
She was so damn good for him.
It felt like the past five years of his life had been lived in a holding pattern. Every day had been the same. He’d worked and taken care of his family an
d he’d lived with the constant dread of being dragged down the rabbit hole into the dark world his family inhabited.
But today had been different.
He’d woken up happy. Happy! He couldn’t remember the last time he could have said that. He’d made love to the woman of his dreams. He’d kissed her and touched her and claimed her body. He’d claimed her future. And the idea that even now she might be carrying his child did something weird to his insides, twisted him up and gave him a sick, excited sort of feeling he’d never experienced before.
Jemma was going to be his. Forever. They were going to build something together. A life together. And if all he had to do to get that, get her and keep her, was cut his father out of his life once and for all, then so be it.
It felt good. It felt right. And he owed all of it to Jemma coming back into his life.
The knock on the door made him smile and he leapt up to go and open it. He’d been waiting for this moment since he walked away from her earlier. He hadn’t been able to get the image of her out of his head, hadn’t tried all that hard either. Jemma rushing towards him, leaping into his arms and kissing him right there on main street in front of God and all the gossipy people of Old Settlers had made him feel worthy for the first time in his life.
He jerked the door open and felt all of the air rush out of his chest. He’d seen Jemma in a lot of ways over the last month but he hadn’t seen her dressed up, all dolled up like seeing him was a special occasion. Until now.
Her hair was in big, loose curls that fell down over her slim, bare shoulders. She was wearing makeup, dark liner that played up her intense hazel eyes. Her lips were painted a bright pink that matched her dress and a grin he couldn’t stop stretched his lips.
She’d changed into a dress. Just like he told her to. It was a pretty little sundress. Thin straps, barely visible against her shoulders held it tight to her full breasts and it flared out around her hips leaving her legs bare. And easily accessible.
“Damn, you look…” He trailed off with a groan when she bit into her lip and looked up at him from under her lashes.
